The Stresspad XXL is an analogue sound instrument, a “sound-making thing”, that is controlled by the human body. With hands, feet, or cheeks the electrical circuit is closed so that the small operational amplifier at the heart of the machine oscillates, is overmodulated, and makes noise. Despite the control mechanism, it is no longer possible to master the simple switch after a certain point. The apparatus takes on a life of its own. It generates unspecific reactions of the body, performative gestures, that are repeatedly fed into the sound circuit.

For the opening of INTERLOOP, visitors to the ifa Gallery Berlin are invited to interact with the Stresspad, to work together in controlling and manipulating it, with the aim of acoustically intervening in the institutional space. It can get loud.The Stresspad XXL was created in the scope of the education project “media resistance – Strategies of Resistance” (2017–18) and was built by the sound artists Gregor Pfeffer and Lukas Grundmann with pupils from the Oberstufenzentrum Mediengestaltung und -technologie.